The area’s premier gathering of sports activities leaders, the Sport Business Discussion board, returns to Abu Dhabi on 1–2 October 2025 with its most formidable version but. Hosted on the newly renovated Yas Convention Centre, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi the Discussion board will as soon as once more carry collectively decision-makers from authorities, sport, and enterprise to form the way forward for the business throughout the Center East. In case you are working in sport or need to know extra about sport and funding within the area, that is one thing you shouldn’t miss!
Why attend Sport Business Discussion board?
Based in 2014, the Sport Business Discussion board was created to fill a essential hole: a devoted platform for leaders in sport throughout the Center East to attach, collaborate, and speed up the expansion of the game business.
“In 2014, there was no platform within the area the place decision-makers in sport may come collectively,” mentioned Sally Corander, founding father of the Discussion board. “We wished to create significant dialogue and develop proactive options that don’t simply focus on the way forward for sport right here, however actively form it.”
What started as a small UAE-focused gathering has since grown into a worldwide occasion attracting greater than 450 senior leaders yearly. The Discussion board has turn out to be a trusted platform the place bulletins are made, insurance policies formed, and partnerships fashioned – cementing its repute because the must-attend occasion for the regional sports activities business.
Milestones and Memorable Moments
From the unique unveiling of the UAE Nationwide Sports activities Technique in 2023 to headline interviews with NBA executives Cynt Marshall and Ethan Casson that had audiences laughing one minute and in tears the following, the Discussion board has constructed a legacy of standout moments.
H.E. Aref Hamad Al Awani, Basic Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports activities Council, described an early version as having “exceeded expectations” – a press release that set the tone for the Discussion board’s trajectory.
Motion, Not Simply Dialog
In contrast to different gatherings, the Sport Business Discussion board is constructed on motion. Attendees achieve unrivalled entry to the folks and concepts shaping sport throughout the Center East. Discussions have sparked collaborations starting from grassroots programmes and sponsorship offers to main funding methods.
“The Discussion board isn’t about concept – it’s the place relationships flip into partnerships and conversations flip into affect,” the organisers observe.
2025 Version: World Voices, Regional Relevance
The 2025 version guarantees a dynamic mixture of views, with audio system together with:
- Alexis Ohanian, Co-Founding father of Reddit and Founding Proprietor of Angel Metropolis FC
- John Terry, Former Captain, Chelsea FC and England
- Robbie Fowler, Former Liverpool FC and England striker
- H.E. Ghanim Al Hajeri, Undersecretary, UAE Ministry of Sports activities
- Kelly Flatow, EVP World Occasions, NBA
- Danny Townsend, CEO, SURJ Sports activities Funding
- Andrew Thompson, Managing Director, SailGP
- Saif Rashid Al Noaimi, CEO, Ethara and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- Tad Brown, CEO, Harris Blitzer Sports activities & Leisure (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Jamaal Lesane, COO, Madison Sq. Backyard Sports activities (New York Knicks)
Periods will highlight the area’s most urgent alternatives, from Saudi Arabia’s sports activities funding technique to tech and fairness in ladies’s sport, management classes from elite athletes, and case research from international properties such because the NBA, SailGP, and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Past the Stage
The Discussion board’s mum or dad organisation, Work together, ensures the affect extends past two days of dialogue. Insights from the occasion are carried ahead into group well being programmes, strategic partnerships, and long-term bodily exercise growth initiatives throughout the area—turning dialog into measurable change.
Networking with Function
Along with world-class content material, attendees will get pleasure from unique networking alternatives, together with a Padel Networking Night on 30 September and a reception at Yas Marina Circuit.
Official Supporters and Companions
The 2025 Discussion board is as soon as once more supported by the Division of Tradition & Tourism – Abu Dhabi, alongside the Division of Group Growth and the Abu Dhabi Sports activities Council. Official companions embody Ethara and OVG Center East, with Yas Convention Centre offering a state-of-the-art house for this yr’s discussions.
